Not with NDA or any alliance, says Chirag Paswan
Jul 18, 2022
New Delhi [India], July 18 : Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan who attended the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting on Sunday, said he is not part of NDA or any alliance.
NDA ministers and leaders held a meeting at Parliament on Sunday ahead of the monsoon session starting on Monday.
Chirag Paswan also attended the meeting.
"NDA's meeting was held to discuss the presidential polls. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) supported NDA's candidate Droupadi Murmu. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has always worked to bring the poor, backwards, tribals and Dalits to the mainstream," Paswan told mediapersons here after the meeting.
Asked about his future course of action, Paswan said, "We will contest the Bihar elections in an alliance, But presently I am not part of any alliance. Today, I am neither with NDA nor with UPA or any Maha Gathbandhan. With whom I'll forge alliance will be announced only before elections."
Meanwhile, Union Minister Ram Das Athawale who also attended the NDA's meeting said, "It is a good thing Congress Party have given the ticket to Margaret Alva for Vice President. She is a senior leader of the Congress Party. Despite of everything, NDA has a majority and by giving a ticket to Margaret Alva is not a solution for Congress. NDA's presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar will win."
Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat said there is no chance of the Opposition candidate to win the vice presidential polls since the NDA enjoys the majority. 
"We have a majority and there is no chance for any other candidate (to win). It would have been better if the opposition conducted the election unopposed," Shekhawat told ANI.
The Congress-led opposition has fielded former Union minister Yashwant Sinha against Draupadi Murmufor the presidential election on July 18. The counting will be taken up on July 21. The term of office of President Ram Nath Kovind will end on July 24.
Murmu is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President.
The voting for the next President of India will start on July 18 while counting will take place on July 21.
The BJP on Saturday announced the name of former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as the NDA candidate for the Vice Presidential election. Dhankhar, who resigned as West Bengal Governor on Sunday will file his nomination on Monday.
Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Margaret Alva has been named as the Opposition's joint candidate for the August 6 vice presidential election.
Alva will file her nomination on Tuesday.
